Ella's Secret
by potterwoman
Summary: Ella is unhappy after she marries Char. Its not that she doesnt love him (although thats what she tells the King, Queen, and Char himself), but that she is being threatened by an old friend. Its resolved, but its better to read it. PLEASE REVIEW!
1. The Beginning

"Ella, oh Ella?" I could hear Char calling me, but did not answer.  
  
It was our first day back from our honeymoon to Ayorthia. I had been ignoring him all morning, sitting on my windowseat with my forehead pressed to the cool glass.  
  
Char entered our room and sat beside me. I looked at him for the first time in days when he held my hands in his and said, "Ella you seemed troubled. You have been distant with me from the beginning of the week. Tell me."  
  
I almost sobbed into his arms, but I could not let him now that I was like jelly around him, not now. not when I was about to reveal all. I stood up and pulled my hands from his. "Char, I made a horrible mistake." 


	2. Ella and the Meeting

Char stared at me. "What kind of mistake, Ella?"  
  
"Oh, just a mistake," I said quickly. "Anyone could make a mistake like this. Just not me," I added quietly.  
  
"What happened?" demanded Char.  
  
I turned to look at him. His lovely eyes bored into mine and I felt guilty. I felt scared of him for a fleeting moment. This was part of the reason I was ignoring him. He had a temper, and when he got mad, he'd yell like no other.  
  
I turned away. "I got married too soon."  
  
My words seemed to echo several times before Char's expression changed and he laughed. "Ella, my darling, is that it?" He rose from the windowseat and wrapped his arms around me. "If you had told me, we could have delayed the wedding for a month or two!"  
  
I pushed off him, saddened by the look on his face as I did. "Not just a month, Prince, but a couple years."  
  
His face slackened and he seemed hollowed out. "Y-you... you don't love me, do you?"  
  
I stared at the ground. I had to tell him the truth, but at the same time I had to lie. "No, Char," I lied.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The next time I saw Char was two days later, when we had a sort of royal meeting about our situation. He wouldn't even look at me.  
  
We sat at a long table, me on one end and he on the other. The king and queen sat on my right, and our attendents sat on my left.  
  
"What was it you wanted to tell us, Char?" The queen asked.  
  
He made a noise between a sob and a cough and said, "The princess and I would like to request a divorce."  
  
The effects of these words were unbelievable. The queen fainted, the king fell out of his chair, and the attendents began to sob. As King Jerrold resumed his seat, The queen's attendent fanned her.  
  
"Perhaps I did not hear you correctly, my son," Jerrold said, clutching his heart. "Princess Ella, could you tell me what this is all about?"  
  
I hated to, just as the queen was waking up. "It's true, your majesty. Char and I would like a divorce."  
  
"An outrage!" the queen gasped. "Scandalous! Whyever would you two do that, you're too much in love!"  
  
An odd silence followed this statement. Char cleared his throat after a moment and said, "No, Mother, we're not."  
  
The queen looked stricken. "Of course you are!" She looked between me and Char, alarmed. "Why wouldn't you be?"  
  
"Mother," Char said, "Being 'in love,' as you put it, requires two people, does it not?" When the queen did not reply, Char pressed on, "But in this case it is only me who is loving anyone."  
  
I felt all eyes on me as I stared at the table, my hands clenched together.  
  
"Ella?" The king.  
  
"What has happened?" The queen.  
  
I took a deep breath and stood up. "It is a long story, highnesses," I muttered.  
  
"Well, by all means, child, speak up!" the queen exclaimed. "We have all day and even if we didn't, this would be the most important thing on our agenda."  
  
I nodded. "Yes, I'll tell you what has happened." 


	3. Ella's Story

*******this is ella telling her story! i don't want to put quotation marks everywhere*********  
  
Just after Char proposed to me, he left to the castle to announce it at the ball. I went with him, but was shown my new room in the castle instead. I began wearing gowns and beautiful jewelry and having my hair glamorous.  
  
I wasn't used to it and I tried to stop my maids from making me wear them, but they said it was the prince's orders.  
  
In the middle of the night, I ran away, back to my father's manor. He wasn't there, of course, but I found my old friend, Berret there.  
  
Berret and I have been friends since my friend Pamela moved away when I was younger. Pamela's mother was a servant and she was replaced with Berret's father.  
  
I opened the door to the manor, knowing that no one lived there, and saw Berret sleeping on a rug in the ront hall.  
  
I woke him up, and he pulled out a knife, not recognizing me in my gowns and jewelry.  
  
"Berret," I said quietly as he held the knife to my throat. "It's Ella."  
  
He dropped the knife and turned me around to face him. He stared into my eyes for a moment, then said, "It IS you!" and pulled me into a hug. 


	4. NOT A CHAPTER! but read anyway

Ok, this isn't part of the story, BUT!!!!! (listen, class...)  
  
thanks for the reviews, however many few i got!!! i will finish the story so you will not have unanswered questions.  
  
anyways, if you do think my story sux, put in a review and say so cuz i am accepting critisism. so yah.... i hope you all like the story and if you have a REAL question that's like important, then email me at potterwoman@juno.com. thank you, have a nice day and keep reading!!! 


	5. Intterruptions

"So that's why you don't love me?!" roared Char, standing up and knocking over his chair on accident. "You love this... this... BERRET?!!??"  
  
My eyes grew wide as the queen put a hand on her son's arm. "No, I don't think that's it, Char," she said. "Let's let the girl continue."  
  
***ANYWAY***  
  
"Berret, what are you doing Kyrria?" I asked. "I thought you were in Ajfam!" (a country by Ayorthia)  
  
Berret let go of me and said, "Oh, i have business here in Frell at the palace. Ella, why are you dressed so exquisitely? YOu look like a princess!"  
  
I laughed a little, the first time in a long time. "That's because I am one, Berret."  
  
A puzzled expression crossed his face, then he said questioningly, "Last I heard, you were a servant in your stepmother's home."  
  
"Last you heard?" I said, ignoring his unasked question. "Who told you that?"  
  
"My uncle's cook, who knows a servant who knows your cook," Berret said without flinching. "Is it not true?"  
  
"It WAS true." I laughed again. "Now I'm getting married to a prince."  
  
He seemed shocked, intruiged, jelous, angry, and excited all at once. "M-married? To a PRINCE? Why, that's absurd, Ella."  
  
I ignored this comment and inquired, "What business do you have at the castle?"  
  
"Just... business." He took a deep breath and sighed. "Perhaps you can help me, as you live at the castle and all."  
  
He seemed a little suspicious now, but I told him to tell me in what way I could help and listened patiently. It turns out he is a... um... merchant, yes. But that doesn't matter now. He said he was... (I was thinking as fast as I could to decieve Char and his parents) in love with me.  
  
******  
  
"IN LOVE WITH YoU?!" Char lost his temper, the same temper I was afraid of. "So yes, Mother, I was right."  
  
"Let Ella finish, Char."  
  
******  
  
So yes, he purposed to me on the spot, and I was um, quite overcome by him. But I told him I had to be loyal to Char, so I couldn't.  
  
******  
  
"And I'm sorry, Char," I continued, "but marrying you was one of the worst things I ever did."  
  
Char was quiet this time, staring at the patterns in the wooden table. I took a steadying breath and sat down. No one made a sound.  
  
***&*****&*****  
  
ok i got all the reviews saying please make longer chapters so i tried, i really did. i hope this one was long enough for you but if it wasn't, uhh sorry but you know, if i write longer chapter's they'll take me longer and so delay your gaining the knowledge of this story...  
  
don't you think it would be better to take it bit by bit instead of a huge blow all at one time??  
  
oh, and one other thing. if you have question like, "why doesn't ella love char" or "why did ella say she doesn't like char" then just WAIT to find out.. thank you 


	6. Ella Explains to Mandy

After the meeting, I went to my bedchamber while the king and queen conversed with the "Royal Attorneys," as they put it. I collapsed on my bed and sobbed until I couldn't stand being in that palace another moment.  
  
I got out of bed, still dressed in my gown from the day, and crept down the stairs. I wouldn't go to my father's manor, not with Berret still there. I was going to Mum Olga's manor to visit Mandy. Perhaps she could give me advice.  
  
I arrived at the house, soaking from the rain and weak from my tears. Mandy must have been expecting me. She greeted me at the door.  
  
"Child," she said quietly, pulling me into a hug and into the house. "What's the matter at this hour?"  
  
I began sobbing again, and she led me into the warm, well-lit kitchen. I sat down on a chair and buried my head in my arms. "Char and I are not to be married for much longer."  
  
"What?!" Mandy sat beside me and pulled my arms away from my blotched face.   
  
"Princess, why do you tell such untruths? You and Char are so much in love. What went wrong?"  
  
"I have been threatened."  
  
"Threatened?! By who?" Mandy was angry, I could tell.  
  
"Berret." I looked up at Mandy. She had a mixed expression on her face, an expression of revulsion, fear and wonder at the same time. "Remember him? His father was a servant?"  
  
Mandy nodded slowly. "Oh yes. His Father and I did not get along well. I thought that Berret had gone frolicking off to Ajfam."  
  
"Yes, he did, and he got involved with the government over there. He went through multiple trainings until he was an agent for them. That's why he's here, and sleeping on the floor of Father's old manor."  
  
Mandy looked more angry than I had ever seen her. "On the FLOOR? In your old house?! And he's here as an agent? Why?"  
  
"He was sent to kill the royal family. Ajfam wants war on Kyrria, so this would be the beginning. When Berret discovered my being engaged to Char, as I was when I saw him, he told me he didn't want to kill me, but he would if I didn't divorce Char. So I told Char I didn't love him anymore and now the king and queen are arranging my departure from the family."  
  
"Why didn't you just tell Char of Ajfam's plans?" Mandy's expression relaxed a bit and she looked sympathetic.  
  
"Because Berret said he would make sure I would be the first to die if they found out."  
  
Mandy now looked angry at me. "SO YOU PLACED YOUR LIFE AT A HIGHER VALUE THAN CHAR'S? I THOUGHT THAT YOU WOULDN'T MARRY HIM BEFORE BECAUSE YOU WERE WORRIED ABOUT HIS LIFE RATHER THAN YOUR OWN."  
  
A long pause followed this.  
  
"I..." I muttered, "I didn't think of that."  
  
Mandy calmed down and said, "Well of course you didn't, child. You panicked."  
  
I began to weep. "What am I to do now?"  
  
"You know what you have to do now?" Mandy said, cupping my chin in her weathered hands,  
  
"you have to warn Char." 


	7. Ella is Determined

I rested at Mum Olga's manor, but left before the sun had risen. I didn't want Hattie or Olive to see me, so I exited through the kitchen door and walked around the house. When I arrived at the palace gates, I was stopped by an ugly guard who grabbed my arm.  
  
"Lady Eleanor," he said in a deep voice, "You are hereby and forthwith banned from the palace or any of its grounds."  
  
I gaped at him. "Why?"  
  
"You are now a Lady, not a princess, and on commands of the queen you are banished from the palace."  
  
"I have to talk to Ch--to the prince." I stammared, trying to get him to let me in.  
  
"I'm afraid I can't let you, Miss," he swiftly replied.  
  
"What about my things? I can't stand by and let them stay in the palace!" I shreiked.  
  
"They will be sent to Madam Olga's manor by carriage this afternoon," said the guard. "Good day." He nodded to two other hideous guards and they led me from the square.  
  
I walked mournfully away from the busy square, not knowing where I was headed or why. I thought about staying away from the manor until my things got there, but then I realized that when Hattie found out I was moving back in, she would sabotage my things and steal the necklace again.  
  
I hurried back to the manor as fast as my sorrowful body would carry me, and entered through the kitchen door.  
  
Mandy looked up from a pot of carrot stew she was stirring and gasped. "Lady, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be saving Char from a horrible death!"  
  
I slumped in a chair and frowned at her. "I'm not the princess any more, and I'm not allowed inside the palace." Tears pricked at my eyes and threatened to overflow.  
  
"Would you give up at just that, child?" Mandy asked, obviously not at all fazed at my news, although angered by it. "Would you stand by, letting a little obstacle like that stand in your way of telling Char what's going on?"  
  
"How else am I to tell Char?" I snapped, pushing Mandy's hand off my shoulder, which she had put there.  
  
Mandy stood there with her hands at her side and said simply, "Hattie."  
  
"What about the wench?"  
  
"Once you tell her Char is single again--"  
  
"Yes!" I exclaimed. "She'll go for the chance to invite him to our manor immediately and I can tell him then!" I put my arms around mandy, giving her a hug. "Thank you, Mandy, you're a genius!"  
  
***  
  
"Hattie, dearest, the prince is here!" Mum Olga popped her fat head in the room as I did up Hattie's corsette.  
  
"Oh goodie!" Hattie squirmed a little, making it even harder for me to button up the corsette around her enormous middle. She turned around and smirked. "I told you he liked me better than you. He won't even allow you on the palace GROUNDS any more! What do you think of that?"  
  
I blushed furiously, but kept my head down. I was filled with rage, and I wanted to cause emotional harm to Hattie in every possible way, but instead I said, "I think you're right, and I think I'm done. Go to your prince."  
  
Hattie gaped at me for a moment, but at another call from her mother, she practically skipped from the room and down the stairs.  
  
I sat on her bed and thought about when the right moment was to talk to Char. I couldn't just walk in on them and say, "Excuse me, Char, but I really do love you, and you're in danger of assassination at every moment. Will you please have me?"  
  
I thought about all I went through very first to win Char in the end, and came up with a plan to get Char and I together. Alone.  
  
***  
  
"Excuse me, Hattie, but a note has come for you from the Earl of Penson. It's in the front hall," I announced to Hattie in the parlor. Char avoided my gaze, and I, his.  
  
Hattie jumped from her chair and raced out the door. The Earl was a wealthy man, and young for his status. He was handsome, and Hattie loved him.  
  
This left me alone in the room with the only man I ever loved.  
  
"Char," I began.  
  
"Don't," he muttered. The way his voice cracked when he said it ripped my heart apart. A lump rose in my throat, and I fought to talk against it.  
  
"Don't what?"  
  
He looked straight into my eyes and rose from his chair. I shrank back, expecting one of his tempers, but I was surprised. His eyes were red from sorrow, and he wasn't standing up straight as usual.  
  
"Don't tell me how sorry you are for all this and come running back to me. I expect this Berret of yours left without a word and now you have nowhere to go. You have no idea how much pain I have gone through in the past week. It was because of you. I don't want you to cause me any more."  
  
Somewhere in the house, Hattie screamed. My plan was working pefectly. The Hattie part, anyway. She would have arrived in the front hall and saw no note for her, and at that precise moment, Mandy would be walking past with a jug of wine. She would accidentally on purpose drop the jug, causing the deep purple to seep into Hattie's dress. This would buy me at least ten minutes while Hattie changed her gown.  
  
"Char, I'm sorry, but this isn't what you think--"  
  
"Isn't it? You're the one who told me."  
  
"I lied."  
  
He shook his head. "I don't want to listen to this, Ella. I just don't."  
  
"Char, I--"  
  
"NO, Ella."  
  
I stamped my foot. "I listened to your description of pain, now listen to mine." when he didn't reply, I went on. "I have been fighting several emotions as I tried to save my own life and had no idea how to save yours. Now I do. I came to you with divorce because Berret was going to assassinate the entire royal family and he told me to get out of it or he would kill me too. So I got out of it, not thinking about warning you. Well now I have. And I'll stop talking now so you can get back to your palace and find another princess."  
  
Char gaped at me, and I felt a wave of tears. I didn't want him to see me cry so I fled the room. 


	8. Char's Purposal

***hey, everyone, i hope you like the story so far. i know where i am going with this pretty well but if you have any suggestions for humor PLEASE say so!! this isn't that funny but the book was somewhat. have a nice day, all***  
  
A while later, as I was lying on my bed weeping, Hattie entered in a rage. "Up. Get up."  
  
I glared at her. "I don't have to follow your orders, Hattie."  
  
She grabbed my hair and pulled my face towards her chubby one. "Char left early. WHAT DID YOU SAY TO HIM?" When I didn't reply, she said, "Answer me! And what's this about the Earl? There was nothing for me!"  
  
"Sorry, but I thought there was," I said through gritted teeth, staring at the ground.  
  
"Liar." She threw me on the ground and kicked me.  
  
I stood up and punched her, letting all my rage out on her face. She collapsed on the ground and I sat back on the bed, in awe about what I had just done.  
  
"Ella, sweet," Mandy said as she came down the hall. She entered my room and gasped. "Child, what have you done?"  
  
"She kicked me," I said, winded from the blow to my ribs.  
  
Mandy sat next to me. "Is she mad about Char?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Well," she said, patting my knee, "I have some good news for you. There is a guest here."  
  
I stood up quickly.  
  
"No, not Char, dearest. A messenger from him." It wasn't what I wanted but Char might have been indisposed so it was better than nothing.  
  
I left Mandy there to take Hattie up to her room and went into the front hall. Who I saw there was not who I expected.  
  
"BERRET!" I shreiked.  
  
His chocolate brwon eyes grew wide and he put his hand over my mouth. I noticed that he was dressed in royal apparel and looking very authorative. "Be quiet or you shall draw attention to me."  
  
I nodded, not wanting Olive or Mum olga to see what the commotion was.  
  
He removed his hand and said, "I hear you have left the royal family."  
  
"Obviously, since I'm dressed like a maid." I scoffed.  
  
"Good, good," he said, not paying any attention to my last statement.  
  
"Who have you killed for that uniform?" I demanded when he said nothing more.  
  
"Oh, just one of the guards."  
  
"ONE of the guards?" I exclaimed. "You don't care about their lives? Oh of course not! You're about to kill the whole royal family!"  
  
"About to? Oh, my dear Ella, I'm afraid it's too late for that?"  
  
My heart sank.  
  
"They've left the kingdom, I'm afraid."  
  
I smiled, despite myself. Char took my warning seriously.  
  
"Now why would they do that?" Berret said. He looked straight into my eyes and I shrank back, hoping with all my heart he wouldn't realize why they did. "I know why. You told him."  
  
"What makes you think that?"  
  
"I heard it from the guard I killed. He said that the royal family was leaving because of the warning the ex-princess gave them."  
  
How stupid was I to warn Char and not tell him to keep it a secret? Now I was to die and Berret would know that the royal family had gone.  
  
"Now for your punishment, Ella."  
  
He couldn't kill me in the house. He COULDN'T, could he?  
  
"Come with me." He began walking towards the door, which was still open. I could see a tip of an arrow peeking around the doorway.  
  
It couldn't be. It COULDN'T be! It was. I ran out the door after Berret to See Char and at least ten other men all pointing arrows towards Berret.  
  
One of the men seized him and tied his hands together. Char put his bow and arrow down and came toward me. He got down on one knee. "If I've hurt you in any way, please forgive me. If you'll have me, I would like you to marry me."  
  
*********ok people this chapter was really really weird, no? but trust me it will all be explained in the next chapter so be patient and wait for it! meanwhile, review! thanx********* 


	9. Things Are Better and The Letter

We weren't married again, because the divorce had not been final in the first place. Supposedly, royal marriages take longer to break than normal ones because of the rarity.  
  
Berret was sent to prison, which didn't satisfy my hatred for him. I thought he should be put to death, but Char was more lenient.  
  
Char explained that after I told him about Berret, he sent scouts all over Frell searching for him. They returned empty-handed, and didn't catch him until he tried to kill Char in front of me and the palace guards.  
  
King Jerrold declared official war on Ajfam the minute he discovered Berret's secret. Nothing happened for a week or two after that, and the ONLY thing that happened then was a letter.  
  
"Dear King Jerrold," it began in flowing handwriting.  
  
I have recently received word that you caught one of our assasins.  
  
I hate to tell you, but I have been plotting war against you for some months now. I regret this, and wish to express my consolation at scaring you and your country about this.  
  
"SCARING??" Char roared when he heard this. "He didnt scare any of us!"  
  
I have decided to call this war over on the basis of a draw. I hope that you are happy with this and wish for a response from you.  
  
Sincerely,  
  
King Baallam  
  
Highness of Ajfam  
  
King Jerrold laughed. "He isnt going to get any draw. I shall inform him at once that if he wants this war to be over, he must surrender at any price." With this, he left the room. The queen went with him, leaving Char and I alone.  
  
"Well, Char," I said, "I'm glad this has worked out nicely and that we can be together happily."  
  
"Happily ever after," Char said, "Like those fairy tales we hear of."  
  
I laughed. "Fairies don't have tails."  
  
*******************************************************************  
  
ok this chapter was short, and i have a good reason: i have been WAY busy cuz school has started which means TONZ and TONZ of homework. plus, i am helping out with my school play so that adds on. and if im lucky ill BE in the play.  
  
this chapter was also very cheesey, corny, sappy, and basically every other word you can think of like that for it. sooo... dont make fun of me. im trying  
  
WARNING!!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS NOT THE END!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THERE IS MORE TO COME!!!!!!!! please review, i want to hear what you have to think and what you think should be improved. have a great day. 


	10. The Cheesiest Epilogue not to mention sh...

***************************all right so this story was short, so what? im starting a new one. it will be better and longer!! the chapters will be longer too SO!! read it. i have no idea what the title will be but HEY!! i know what the story will be like. have a nice day, yall***************  
  
EPILOGUE:  
  
Char and I were happily married for a long time. We had several kids, all of whom love to slide down the banisters. We lived through several wars and fights among countries but we survived them. WE loved each other more than anything, and lived  
  
Happily  
  
Ever  
  
After  
  
THE END  
  
(yes i know cheesey but what the hey) 


End file.
